Lionel Messi wins the France Football Ballon d’Or for the seventh time. The Argentine star won this trophy for the first time under other colors than those of FC Barcelona, which he left at the end of the summer to join Paris-Saint-Germain.
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Argentinian Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi, aged 34, won his seventh best player of the year award at the Ballon d’Or Francid footballundi November 29. He had already won this title in 2019, during the last edition of this award, and remains the most successful player in history, ahead of the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo with five trophies.
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This is the first time he has won this trophy under other colors than those of FC Barcelona, which he left at the end of the summer to join the club in the capital. Yet it was in Barcelona and in the national team that he shone more than in Ligue 1 this year. He notably won his first major international title with Argentina, winning the Copa America final against Brazil in July. He carried his team and finished top scorer. He was also declared the best player of the tournament.
With FC Barcelona, he finished the 2020-2021 season with the title of top scorer of the Spanish league season, signing 30 goals in 35 matches. Adding his performances in the Champions League and the Spanish Cup, his final counter shows 38 goals. This year, he also equaled the record for the number of games played for Barcelona in La Liga, then held by Xavi with 505 games played.
The one who is nicknamed “the Pulga” (the chip) had a slightly more difficult start in Ligue 1 under his new colors of Paris-Saint-Germain, after an arrival that unleashed passions. He only scored 4 goals, including 3 in the Champions League, and was often prevented by small physical injuries.